My parents came into town over the weekend. I went to sacrament meeting with them while they were here. Before we went my dad asked me if I normally just go to sacrament meeting (I have talked with him about some of my issues (I've been slowly working my out, ... still in process)). I told him that I don't go at all, my wife goes without me. After sacrament my dad talked to me a little bit. He agreed that a lot of the meeting was boring but that there were small "nuggets" (i'm sure you've all heard that used before) that you could get, and even more if you had more history with the people giving talks so it would be more helpful to attetnd more often. He then told me that I was damning myself (that is to say, stopping my growing process) by keeping God out by not attending.

Here's my gripe (nothing new to people here i'm sure). I know that he was being helpful from his viewpoint - and i'm not griping against my dad but against the mentality that exists in mormonism - but if I have a problem I must be in the wrong. It's better to sit through 3 hours of crap to find 1 or 2 "nuggets" that will change my life for better. First off; I believe I can acutally make good decisions for myself without having it given to me from somebody parroting somebody elses talk at church! By deciding to not go to church I have been trying to get out of the "damned" state that I realized I was in there, stunted and blocked! And second; I don't see a reason to go where I get the lowest rate of return on my time. Sure I can probably find something to learn from, but why force it out of that muck? There are lots of other sources of beneficial insight to help me in my life that aren't forced and are full of good. I would rather spend 1 hour getting beneficial things from a book or whatever then waste 3 hours to get 1 minute's worth of good (and that forced out by seeing what I don't like).

that is all

You are being rational about your precious time.

He is being obedient and trying to justify his forced attendance by saying he gets "nuggets."

You could ask him what was the last inspiration he received at Sacrament meeting and how it affected his life for the better. Or you could say nothing.

The result would be the same. He has an obligation to chastise/motivate you to obey the Masters. Mormons make sure parents are judged by the faithfulness of their children, "jewels in their crown." That makes it socially embarrassing for him to have a thinking son who turns against Mormonism.

It helps to know it's not about you, it's about them and their precious standing with the priesthood.


Anagrammy

how can you keep out God...if He wants in He will get in!! i mean if there is a God... He can do what He wants... that always kills me when people say God wants me to kill or whatever...fight a war... hell He is God... cant he just snap a finger and do aaway with them??/ just sayin!

You already get it. You can get a little education in school, but the big education is in living a big life.

You can get a few nuggets out of church, or you can go for the mother lode by wading into the big wide world with a big open mind and experiencing it all first hand and giving it your damndest.

Mormons don't get that. They are too busy trying to turn themselves into square pegs to fit into square holes. They are afraid of their real selves.

I got the same from my parents. I think the phrase "just humor them" comes into play somewhere here.

Maybe you could challenge your father to take a month off from the church and just read, pray and seek his Heavenly Father by himself and see how he feels at the end of the month. (It could work.) :)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/29/2012 04:31PM by Rebeckah.

He wanted more. I would find this frustrating. When mormons want more, I tend to back up and give them less.

"Dad, sorry I hoped you'd be gratified because I agreed to attend with you, so I'm disappointed that you're unhappy. I feel I should cut back more. Since I can't please others, I can use my time better and at least please myself."

It's never enough with mormons. They're critical of fully attending, tithe paying, calling holding members who drink herbal iced tea and miss watching GC or subscribing to the Ensign for goodness sake.